Boba Tea
by merryfortune
Summary: Yasuho treats Josuke to something sweet after a stressful day.


**Boba Tea**

 **:**

Josuke frowned as a vein throbbed in his head. Yasuho was not as crash hot either as she was quite sweaty and out of breath from running so much. Today had most certainly been a day.

"My head hurts." Josuke said.

That turned into a declaration of resignation. He looked around briefly and plopped down on the bus bench.

"We deserve a break." Yasuho said with a decisive nod.

"What kind of break? I don't want to give up forever, just… today." Josuke said.

"I know, I know. Hence, a break. A pause. Like, tell me Josuke, what do you plan on doing once we piece together everything. Are you gonna steal Kira's identity, since you look closer to him than Josefumi, and live on as him… or are we gonna have to get more creative than that?" Yasuho asked.

The frown across Josuke's brow continued to become more deeply creased.

"I don't know. Now my head hurts even more." he complained.

"It's just the stress from all the… bizarre things happening. I'm getting a bit like that as well." Yasuho said. "Actually, do you know what I could go for?"

She was beginning to sound quite excited now. Josuke craned his head up and down the road. It felt like a bus would never come.

"What?" he asked, nevertheless.

"Boba tea!" Yasuho answered. "Nothing beats boba tea after a hard day of shopping, so after a hard day like today, it'll really cheer you up."

"What's boba tea?" Josuke asked.

"It's iced tea with fruit and juices and tapioca pearls. I love it. And I'm sure you will too." Yasuho replied.

She spoke very animatedly. She looked really pretty whenever she had passion in her body language. Josuke half smiled.

"I've got a salty palette. I know that. And that sounds awfully… sweet." Josuke said.

"Trust me, you'll love it. There's a flavour combination for everyone. Besides, you ate that cheesecake we got." Yasuho pointed out.

"True. Alright, let's try it; this 'boba tea' stuff." Josuke relented.

Yasuho grinned. "Don't worry, it's my treat, too."

A few minutes later, the bus came and they were soon on route to the main shopping plaza; a place Yasuho was very familiar with. With Josuke latched onto her arm, she very happily careened through the streets on their quest for boba tea. She knew exactly where she was going; without Paisley Park's help or even her phone. Josuke was impressed, truth be told by her knowledge of layout of the mall. There was an unquestioned authority about her and her stride.

Soon enough, in the thick of the food court, they found the boba tea stand. It was small and unassuming with pastel colours. It did not stand out next to the brightly coloured chain fast food outlets and the smaller restaurants which exuded delicious and salty aromas which enticed Josuke.

"Now, let's order." Yasuho told Josuke.

There was a mother and her daughter just ahead of them in the queue. The young daughter took her cup and her mother paid the cashier. They soon shuffled off and Yasuho and Josuke came closer.

Josuke noted a noxiously sweet smell of fruit going overripe and of saccharine sugar. He idly wondered if they bought the fruit from the Higashikata family.

"I'll go first so you know how to order." Yasuho said.

"Thanks." Josuke replied.

"Alright, um, can I get a strawberry milk base with vanilla tapioca and peaches?" Yasuho asked the tired looking cashier.

"Yes, and… sir?" the cashier replied.

Josuke's jaw slackened as his eyes studied the board. He knew what most of these words meant individually but not what they meant as a group. He was fortunate in that they used simplified hiragana and not any kanji; he was hit and miss on the latter.

"Um, can I get… apple juice? And earl grey - that's a tea, isn't it? No milk?" Josuke hesitates.

"Any toppings?" The cashier asked.

"The toppings are the best part." Yasuho prompted.

"And strawberry pearl things? Are those toppings?" Josuke asked, confused.

"Anything else?" The cashier glanced between the two of them.

Yasuho glanced at Josuke who shrugged. Yasuho shrugged back.

"No, we're good."

"Won't be a minute then." the cashier said.

Josuke and Yasuho stepped aside but no one was behind them. Yasuho checked her phone whilst Josuke checked their surroundings. The mall was empty and people were closing up. They were lucky to have made it on time for their last minute craving.

As Yasuho put her phone away, the cashier called her and Josuke back to the counter.

"Now," Yasuho said and she pointed her finger at Josuke's chest, "don't squeeze them too hard or you will make a mess. Tea is super hard to get out of white shirts. And I am not cleaning up for you."

"Understood." Josuke replied.

"Good." Yasuho smiled.

She picked out two straws and handed one to Josuke. They took their order and Yasuho paid. Together, they found a table in the empty food court; it wasn't that hard.

Yasuho gently poked her wide straw through the foil on top of her milky drink. To Josuke, it looked more like a chunky milkshake or smoothie than tea. His also looked closer to regular apple juice save for the weird ball things floating at the bottom which, honestly, looked very unappetising.

"Your staring at the bottom... is something wrong with it?" Yasuho asked.

"Oh! I was just thinking about the… tapioca pearls? Is that what they're called? Do they taste nice?" he asked.

"Delicious." Yasuho replied.

Then, as if to prove her statement, she took a gulp of her drink. Her eyes lit up as she savoured the sweetness of her drink. It encouraged Josuke. He carefully poked his straw through the lid. Whilst he was not as expert about it as Yasuho, he was glad there was no major spillages. A small squirt landed on the table but they had serviettes for a reason. It was a quick mop up and a quick distraction.

Yasuho picked up her drink and drank some more. She watched eagerly as Josuke took his first sip.

He was adorably cautious. He didn't have any overt reactions, like her. His eyes didn't light up or anything similar. He put down his drink.

"Just tastes like someone poured apple juice into earl grey tea. Should I have gone matcha, maybe…? Or added milk or something…?" he pondered.

"There's always next time." Yasuho mused as she fished out a chunk of peach from her drink using her straw. Her eyes lit up as a flirtatious smile graced her apricot coloured lips.

She tipped her cup slightly forward and her slightly chewed straw lolled forward with it, towards Josuke.

"How about we try a sip of each other's?" she suggested.

Josuke licked his lips. He promises he was not thinking something indecent.

"Alright." he agreed.

Yasuho lifted her cup and Josuke fumbled with the straw. Like a child, almost, he refused to use his hands to align it with his mouth.

He took a sip. The viscosity of the milk was displeasing to him but the sweetness of fresh fruit was regularly pleasing to him. He smiled.

"I like it." he replied.

"You do?" Yasuho exclaimed.

She didn't know why but it made her very happy that Josuke liked her preference in boba tea flavours and toppings.

"Now, may I try some of yours?" she asked, demure in voice.

Awkwardly, Josuke brought his cup to her face. With her fingers, she delicately angled the straw to her mouth and her lips suctioned around it. She found it difficult to avert her gaze and her realisation that Josuke's cheeks were going red because of her. It was a very embarrassing but flattering realisation, though.

She chewed on the straw slightly as she drank. She also may have accidentally taken a longer than necessary drink. She pulled back.

"Hmm, it is a little plain tasting. I would have asked for extra fruit, personally. But live and learn." Yasuho said.

"Uh, yeah." Josuke agreed.

"Try a bigger sip, maybe? I accidentally drank a lot, whoops… um, I mean, did you even try the tapioca pearls? I thought they were nice." Yasuho suggested between inadvertently lovestruck ramblings.

"Er, no." Josuke replied. "Okay."

He lifted his cup again. He very much disliked how flimsy the plastic felt. But the smell of his drink was beginning to grow on him. He took a large gulp. A very large gulp indeed.

His cheeks ballooned with liquid, and the tapioca pearls. Yasuho could sense an oncoming disaster and then, she saw it: the way Josuke's eyes bugged and his cheeks bulging. He was panicking. And likely choking too. He began to sputter. Soon enough, a spray of tea went across the table and splattered across her face. Between his plump lips, dozens of tapioca pearls fell out.

"Josuke…" Yasuho attempted to continue her sentence but she was too overwhelmed with disgust.

"Sorry, Yasuho." he replied.

"Please just clean up." Yasuho said. "I'm gonna go to the ladies room."

"Understood. And I'll clean up my mess." Josuke said, sheepishly.

"Josuke, next time, don't get the pearls. Just get fresh fruit or nothing at all. I think that's a good idea." Yasuho said as she stiffly got up.

"I think it's a great idea." Josuke agreed dumbly because compliance was likely the only thing keeping Yasuho from killing him right now.

But, he was glad there was still a next time implied. After all, he couldn't call this date. Not after that, anyway. Perhaps if things had been different, drier, then they could have a good boba tea date. Next time, hopefully next time.


End file.
